Squash is a seasonal vegetable. It is very susceptible to frost and heat damage, but with proper care it will produce a bumper crop with very few plants.

There are many varieties of summer squash to choose from, including zucchini. The main difference between winter and summer varieties is their harvest time; the longer growing period gives winter squash a tougher, inedible skin. Here are their various botanical names: Cucurbita pepo (Summer squash/Zucchini), C. maxima (True winter), C. pepo (Acorn, delicata, spaghetti) , C. moschata (butternut).

Planting

If you wish to start seeds indoors due to a short gardening season, sow 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost in peat pots. However, we recommend direct-seeding for squash because they do not always transplant well. If you do transplant, be very gentle with the roots.

If you wish to get an early start, it may be better to warm the soil with black plastic mulch once the soil has been prepared in early spring.

The soil needs to be warm (at least 60º at a two-inch depth) so we plant summer squash after our spring crops of peas, lettuce, and spinach—about one week after the last spring frost to midsummer.

In fact, waiting to plant a few seeds in midsummer will help avoid problems from vine borers and other pests and diseases common earlier in the season.

The outside planting site needs to receive full sun; the soil should be moist and well-drained, but not soggy.

Squash plants are heavy feeders. Work compost and plenty of organic matter into the soil before planting for a rich soil base.

To germinate outside, use cloche or frame protection in cold climates for the first few weeks.

Plant seeds about one-inch deep and 2 to 3 feet apart in a traditional garden bed.

Or, you could also plant as a “hill” of 3 or 4 seeds sown close together on a small mound; this is helpful in northern climates as the soil is warmer off the ground. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills.

Most summer squashes now come in bush varieties, which uses less space, but winter squash is a vine plant and needs more space. They will need to be thinned in early stages of development to about 8 to 12 inches apart.

Care

When the first blooms appear, apply a small amount of fertilizer as a side dress application.

For all type of squash, frequent and consistent watering is recommended. Water most diligently when fruits form and throughout their growth period.

Water deeply once a week, applying at least one inch of water. Do not water shallowly; the soil needs to be moist 4 inches down.

After harvest begins, fertilize occasionally for vigorous growth and lots of fruits.

If your fruits are misshapen, they might not have received enough water or fertilization.

Pests

There are a couple of challenging pests, especially the squash vine borer and the squash bug. The best solution is to get ahead of them before they arrive. See our links below on these pests for more information.

If your zucchini blooms flowers but never bears actual zucchini, or it bears fruit that stops growing when it's very small, then it's a pollination issue. Most squashes have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. To produce fruit, pollen from male flowers must be physically transferred to the female flowers by bees. If you do not have enough bees, you can manually pollinate with a Q-tip—or, add nearby plants that attract bees!

Blossom End Rot: If the blossom ends of your squash turn black and rot, then your squash have blossom-end rot. This condition is caused by uneven soil moisture levels, often wide fluctuations between wet and dry soil. It can also be caused by calcium levels. To correct the problem, water deeply and apply a thick mulch over the soil surface to keep evaporation at a minimum. Keep the soil evenly moist like a wrung out sponge, not wet and not completely dried out.

Stink Bug: If your squash looks distorted with dippled area, the stink bugs overwintered in your yard. You need to spray or dust with approved insecticides and hand pick in the morning. Clean up nearby weeds and garden debris at the end of the season to avoid this problem.

Harvest/Storage

Harvest summer squash when small and tender for best flavor. Most varieties average 60 days to maturity, and are ready as soon as a week after flowering.

Check plants everyday for new produce.

Cut the gourds off the vine rather than breaking them off.

Fresh summer squash can be stored in the refrigerator for up to ten days.

Harvest winter squash when rind is hard and deep in color, usually late September through October.

Winter squash can be stored in a cool, dark place until needed. It will last for most of the winter. If you have a cool bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65 degrees F.

Freezing Summer squash: Wash it, cut off the ends, and slice or cube the squash. Blanch for three minutes, then immediately immerse in cold water and drain. Pack in freezer containers and freeze.

By CKim on July 29

All my female buds are dying long before they even get close to the size of blooming. It's my spaghetti squash. They are in all new dirt this year. I have hand pollinated the ones that come up. I am afraid I over watered> We recently had three weeks of 27+ weather Celius. I read it could be lack of nitrogen? I have fertilized only twice this season, thinking that was my issue last season. In the early season we had two three fruits on each plant . We have now picked those in hopes that the energy would go back into the female flowers. Could it be there isn't enough growing space for the plant!? My butternut squash are doing fine in the same amount of room. Please help.

Stress can cause flowers to drop. The weather may have been too warm for the plants. Another reason for flower drop is poor pollination. Make sure that you get enough pollen from the male flower to the female when hand pollinating.

By duas on July 8

Hi there,
I have very healthy huge zucchini plants (a dozen). They are loaded with flowers but ALL the flowers that have boomed so far are female. There are very few male buds and they are very tiny. The female flowers have 4-5 inches long and chubby fruits but I am so frustrated that all these fruits will rot as the male flowers are not ready yet. Can I do anything to encourage male flowers to blossom. There are no neighbors growing zucchinis from whom I could get the male flowers for manual pollination. Do you think, eventually male flowers will catch up?

Usually, the small male flowers emerge a little before the large female flowers. Occasionally, the reverse happens. Are your male flowers not opened at all yet? If so, you might wait a week or so to see if they do mature enough to open; if there are very few, you might select one after it opens and use it to hand pollinate the female flowers, allowing the others to remain on the plant. If the male flowers don't open at all, you might check local garden nurseries that perhaps have a zucchini plant for sale that contains a mature male flower that you can use to hand pollinate. Good luck!

By ChesterNg on July 4

Hi, i know you have mentioned to water the soil deep and don't need to water everyday, but if I have my plants in the container then should I water them everyday? The other thing is how long should I keep doing the hand pollination? Do I need to do this throughout the season or just a few times?

Hi, Chester, Containers typically dry out faster than the soil dries out. In the ground, plants can send their roots out l"ooking for" moisture; not so in a container. Your zucchs do not need water every day, but you should probably water them once or twice a week, depending on rainfall, temperatures (high heat dries out containers), and humidity (dry air tends to dry out containers). Let the soil dry between waterings; stick you finger into it to see how deep it's dry.
As for pollination, you should see the effects of pollinating pretty soon after doing it. Repeat on new flowers especially if insects are not common in your area—say, for example, several stories above ground.
We hope this helps.

By Mohamed Tasto

By Wilson Agena

By kate.rasmus

We have a rambunctious puppy who got into our spaghetti squash plant. We have a large fruit which is still green but not too far off from harvesting. She scratched it up and put a couple punctures in the skin. Is it a safe and viable option to clean the scrapes and punctures and fill them with wax so that it can continue to grow a little longer?

You can certainly gently clean the area around the scrapes and punctures; depending on how severe the injuries, the fruit might heal over on its own. I'm not sure if the wax would be good or not--it would perhaps help to prevent some insects and diseases from penetrating the fruit, however, it also would encourage some diseases that might already be in the flesh to develop, as the wax would prevent air circulation around the injury. My best guess would be not to apply the wax, but if you do, make sure the wax is edible and free of fragances and additives, such as pure natural beeswax.

By Anonymous

Hello,
I have plants basically half-grown that are from the company called Bonnie that I purchased yesterday. What are your suggestions on this plant since you give only instructions for plants starting from seeds? Thank you for your help! :)

By LT

It will be just fine. Most of the time, we start seeds indoors/greenhouse and transplant them. They have always done great for us. Gardening is always trial and error. But rewarding in every way. Enjoy the journey and love your garden. It will love you back.

For us, seeds are the way to go. Squash plants don't generally like to be transplanted. When setting out the plants in the soil, just be very gentle and especially careful not to disturb their roots. Make sure you harden off the seedlings before you transplant so they get acclimated to the weather. (A week before transplanting, harden off seedlings by cutting back on water and lowering the nighttime temperature to 65°F.) Water them and mist them several times a day the first few days. You may wish to contact Bonnie. If you mean Bonnie Plants, they provide great advice.

By Jess b mom of 3

I have a few zucchini plants that are taking over my whole garden! Some are already to harvest but want to move them further away so my other veggies can flourish! Is this something I can accomplish without killing the plant?!

By william howard britt

By Elli8548754

Male blossoms don't have a small fruit at the base of the blossom--they just look like a blossom. The pollen needs from inside the blossom needs to pollinate the female blossom (the flowers with the fruit at the base). Use a w tip to swipe pollen from the male to female blossom and the little female fruit will turn into a squash.

By Lisa Bridges

By Daniel Swanson

Hello,
Last year in the same mulched garden bed my zucchini did well with fruiting but my yellow squash did not. It flowered well and it fruited but never got big enough to harvest and eventually rotted away. I noticed that the stems close to the base would often have large holes in them with ants crawling in and out often and that might have been what caused the problems with rotting. Is it possible a Squash Vine Borer got after it, then the ants started using the vine following? I'm not sure what else to do with mulching, spraying peppermint, etc. any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Squash vine borers make holes in the stems to feed. You can cut the vine open and remove the caterpillar and then bury the vine to re-root. But that is a lot of work. Ants are usually harmless and may be looking for aphids. Plant resistant varieties and place floating row covers over young squash plants to discourage adult moths to lay eggs close to the plants.

By joel weber on July 9

Please do not share my email address with advertisers. Thank you My comment is PLEASE mention resistant varieties when you suggest using them. I would love to know some zuchinni varieties resistant to vine borers and squash bugs. I have never seen either mentioned in seed ads. Thank you.

Hi Joel, Vining summer squashes are more resistant to the squash bugs but the seeds are hard to find.
In terms of resistance to squash vine borers, there is a round heirloom zucchini called 'Ronde de Nice' -- it is not foolproof, but is somewhat tolerant, due to its growth habit that compensates the borer damage. See www.westcoastseeds.com
There's another round zucchini called Tatume’ or Tatuma orMexican zucchini that we've read is resistant.
As for other squashes, butternut and others of C. moschata are more resistant. Hubbard is more susceptible.
Truly, the only way to prevent these pests from getting in is growing the plant under row cover.
Don't worry about your email address. You are not registered on our Web site so it was not kept.
Best, the OFA Editors.

By Shanna T.

I have my Zucchini plants in pots, and they have done great until now. The top part of the plants are vibrant green like I want, but the bottom leaves appear to be shriveling. The over all plant looks healthy, but those bottom leaves are worrying me a little. Any ideas on what is happening?

Shriveled and/or brown leaf edges can be caused by many things, including a period of cold temperatures (below 50 F) and too much moisture. If there are no signs of spots on the leaves, or wilting, and the plant is doing fine in production, then it's probably not something to worry about.

By Kristl DeBord

Hi. I started some seeds indoors in late February. Now, in March, we are getting up to the 50's already. My question is, my zucchini plants are huge already, about 6-8 inches, maybe more. Did I start the seeds too soon? Any advice for handling them until I can transplant outside? Our expected last frost is April 28. We are in central IL. Thanks for any advice!

Usually, we hear that there are flowers but the plant is not growing fruit (which would be a pollination issue). If you have the fruit, congrats! You must have had flowers at some point. When the plant stops producing flowers, it will stop producting fruit.

By KimberlyDS

First attempt at butternut squash in Tallahassee, FL (zone 8b); planted seeds in early Sept. I read that b-nut can be planted in the fall here, but now I am worried that we might have an early frost this year, with temps dipping into the 40s already this weekend. There are many 1-2 inch-long squash at this point.

Did I plant too late? Is there any chance my squash will make it to full maturity? How long does it take from the 1-2 inch stage to the full grown stage? And could covering them over night help? Do you have any suggestions?

By ken scott

Covering your plants to protect against frost is a must. Once I even used a candle under a tarp covering my avocados to fend off any frost. and easy fix is to cut the bottoms off of plastic soda bottles and set them into the ground over the plants and then try to cover them with straw or a tarp.

It's recommended to plant winter squash in Aug. if you live in central FL. Sept. planting if you live in southern FL. You may have to cover your plants if you have an early frost. With some luck you may be able to harvest a few butternut squashes before winter.

By Marcella Womac

Hello, i planted squash this year in the spring and mid summer, the ones in spring got the squash bore worm and they died and i read that it is best to plant in mid summer so i did but those plants were doing well and then the fruit started getting green worms in them. i don't know what kind they were i did fine a few squash bore worms in the stems but i don't know where the the green worms that bored into the fruit was coming from or how to get rid of them. can you help me so next year i can prepare to combat them.

Especially if you live in the South, the green worms in the fruit might be pickleworms--pale green with brown heads, up to about 3/4" long. They might have reddish-brown spots, depending on the stage of larval development. To help prevent them from boring into the fruit, spread mulch around or keep the fruit off of the ground. They like to feed at ground level. They might also tunnel into flowers, buds, and stems, but prefer the fruit. A larva will eventually spin a thin cocoon, perhaps rolled in a leaf, and pupate. Adult brownish-yellow moths emerge in about 7 to 10 days; they are active at night. Early-maturing varieties are good to combat pickleworm, so that they mature before the peak of the pickleworm population. Also, because the moths are active at night, covering the squash with row cover overnight will help to prevent them from laying eggs on your squash. Remove the cover during the day, to allow pollinators such as bees to visit the flowers. Some varieties of squash are more resistant to pickleworm, such as Butternut 23, Summer Crookneck, Early Prolific Straightneck, and Early Yellow Summer Crookneck.

For more information, see:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/pickleworm.htm

If the larvae you see are not pickleworms, perhaps they are melonworms? Green larvae, usually with two white stripes (depending on larval stage). But these usually attack leaves, or sometimes the surface of the fruit. It's less common for them to tunnel into the fruit. See:

Hi, Blue Gum: Yellow squash and zucchini certainly will cross polinate, but the results are usually not seen until the fruit that grows from cross pollinated seeds in the following year. So this may be something that was in your seeds. It also might be because some sort of stress is changing/expanding the tiny amount of green that is on yellow sunbursts anyway. Sounds like cross pollination at some point, though.

By LayneL

By Sandraolt

It sounds like your yellow squash was a crook neck variety and that they were left to fully develope rather than picked early. If this happens you can cut them up in cubes, add onions and tomatoes and bake at 350 until they are tender. My family likes this dish topped with cheddar.

By Steffi1987

Hi Steffi, If you'd like to send us a photo, please email to: AlmanacEditors@yankeepub.com -- We don't have a research service but we'll keep a look out for your picture and try to help you out! Sincerely, your OFA editors

By Steffi1987

Hello. I planted a few butternutsquash seeds and some are growing really good. And two of them will have a flower soon. But one of them is falling down. Should i prop it back up with soil or leave it alone?

Hi, Steffi: You're probably OK just leaving it the way it is, but it wouldn't hurt it to prop it up a little so that perhaps the leaves get more light. Don't use soil, though; use something that won't get damp and wet, like wood, stone, or plastic. Thanks for asking!

By Steffi1987

Thank you very much! I buildt a little trellis with wire for now. Another question , when should i start guiding the leaves thru a "real" trellis ? Wont it hurt the plant when it stucks in the wire and grows taller ?

Butternut squash might be too heavy for a light trellis; make sure that you install a sturdy one if you will be vertical gardening. As for the stems growing through the openings in the wire mesh, they should be fine as long as the trellis will not wobble, the mesh is fairly wide (at least a few inches wider than the width of the mature stem), and the stems are supported. Some gardeners weave the young stems through the wide mesh to help with support. Others secure and guide the vines by tying them at intervals to the wire. If you want, you can even redirect the vines to remain on one side of the mesh, rather than growing through it. With such heavy fruit, it's best to provide support for the developing squashes by making a sling with pantyhose and tying the sling to the wire.

Powdery mildew most often attacks the leaves, but in severe cases, can also attack the fruit. Do you notice any white spots on the leaves? If it is powdery mildew, it's best to remove infected leaves and fruit, especially if there are other leaves and fruit that are showing no signs yet. Improving air circulation helps combat the disease. Fruit with powdery mildew might still be edible, but most likely the flavor and quality would be off. For more information, see:

White growth on fruit might also be Pythium, or fruit rot. The fruit is infected when it rests on wet soil, and may form cottony white growth, especially in humid weather. In severe cases, it is not edible due to poor quality. For more information see:

By mark menser

I have huge Zucchini and yellow squash plants but no squash. I understand that this may be a pollination problem but there are no flowers either. It is now early august. Should I just pull up the non-producing plants and replant seeds?
I read that another source of my problem may be too much nitrogen in the soil. My yard has hard clay soil, (very hard!) So I built an above ground garden and filled it with commercial potting soil. Was this wrong? How can I correct the nitrogen balance now?

Yes, lack of blooms is generally due to excess nitrogen. You could sprinkle some superphoshate around the plants. It may not work this year, but you can try it. What will be important is that you get a soil test before you plant next year. There are home gardening soil tests you can get from your local cooperative extension or from local places for a small fee. Then adjut the soil as needed.

Hi, Gracey: The puzzle here is that it is only one of your plants. It's possible that there is some sort of pest involved (see Pests above), so do some exploring of the dimples. Sometimes these can be the result of damage when the zukes are young, but this would not seem to apply. Another thing that can cause this is a quick temperature change that causes the moisture content near the skin to vary. But all the fruit on only one plant? Readers?

By Simplyeric

After a squash plant is reaching a good size, can you mound additional soil/mulch at it's base (the way you can with tomatoes, for example)? We got some squirrel damage, and it's healing but somehow I thought a little additional soil might help.

We plant our squash seeds in mounds from the start. Once the seedlings are 2 inches tall, you can add mulch. And feel free to add more mulch as they grow.
This "may" help with the squirrels. The only real defense for small critters is a fence. Also, you can use safe repellents when the seeds are young and vulnerable. Ingredients in repellents may include animal predator urine, blood meal, garlic, sulfur or hot pepper, among others. Spray around your vegetables, not on them. Once the plants are past the tender seedling stage, they tend to fare better.

The number of winter squash per plant will depend on the kind and the variety, as well as the health of the plant, the soil, the weather, vine length, pollination, spacing, any techniques that you might be able to do to increase yield, etc. On average, an acorn squash might produce up to 5 per plant; butternut, 4-5; pumpkin, 1 to 3; others, up to 7 or more. In general, the larger the squash, the less fruit will form per vine (although there are exceptions). Check the seed packet to see if it mentions the average yield for that variety.

Some people do remove new flowers, or prune the growing tip of the vine, once there are about 3 to 5 good-sized fruit growing, to encourage the plant to focus its energy on growing fewer but larger fruit (such as pumpkins). Some don't do anything, and let the plant grow as it will. Your strategy will depend on whether you'd like lots of smaller fruit, or fewer but larger fruit (such as for exhibition).

By new green house grower

I have a green house first time this year. In our excitement for the garden we have over crowded the zuchinni and yellow squash I'm pretty sure. the raised beds in the green house are well stocked with organic soil, well watered, plenty of light, and I fertilize about once a month. The plants have overgrown greenery, and I did prune them once. They continue to produce big leaves, but the produce I'm getting is very limited, despite my hand pollination every morning. The squash have quit producing any female flowers, and the zuchinni is very limited also. The are so crowded that you can't help but step on some of the leaves and the roots(deep purple) have gone to the far edges of the beds on each side. I'm assuming this is due to crowding. Is it too late, middle of July in Albq NM, to pull them and start over?

The heavy leaf growth may be the result of too much nitrogen in the soil. The N-P-K of fertilizer means
• Nitrogen, for leaf growth
• Phosphorus for root growth and fruit production
• K = potassium, which helps a plant to fight off disease.
To see if you have a second-season opportunity, key your zip code into this page and check the planting table ("Candia, NH" wil be replaced with your location):
http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/NH/Candia

By Shianne

This is my first time growing zucchini and I was just wondering if I have to dig them up when the first frost hits? Or should I leave them in the ground? If I leave them in the ground will they come back in the spring?

Zucchini is an annual; it grows for one season. Pick any zucchs before the first freeze—even a near freeze, if they are mature. If the freeze, or deep chill, is expected to be brief and warm temperatures are expected to return, you could cover the plant to protect it from the cold. Depending on the forecast (how cold for how long), a row cover, bedsheet or the like would do. You don't want to the leaves or zucchs to be touched by the frost. Remove the cover when temps rise.
Remove the zucc plant when it has finished producing or if it is killed by a frost. Make its removal part of your end-of-season garden clean up.

By Susancologardener

My plants are producing males and females but the females are not growing further even though I've been pollinating them by hand to make sure they have been pollinated. I live in Colorado and it's been consistently in the 90's. I water everyday and dug compost into the soil as well. Last year I had a very abundant crop but this year the females are just not producing. What could be the reason why?

It sounds like you're doing all the right things, Susan.
One suggestion is to maybe let nature take its course. The plants produce both male and female flowers, usually enough for pollination.
One question: are you pollinating in the morning? At that time, high humidity helps to activate the pollen.
Then again, sometimes plants produce all male or all female flowers. The sex can be influenced by temperature, day length, maturity and hormones.
One other thought: back off the watering for a bit. While zucchs like moisture, they also appreciate a brief dry period between soaks.
Hope something happens soon...

By nicole marden

I have a question. I cant find this one anywhere either. I accidentally snapped the stems clear off on two of my plants. Theyre still babys, only just got their second leaves. I stuffed them as far into the dirt and watered as soon as it happened. Do you think (or know if) theyll grow new roots and be fine? They dont seem listless and its been over 24 hours since it happened. Thanks so much

By MRamos

I also accidentally broke one of my plants at the base, just above soil level. I taped it with cheap scotch tape, immediately. That was nearly a month ago. Now the plant is smaller than the others, but is producing flowers before the other plants and much more of them.

By Ida Graham

By Jess78

Are you losing male or female flowers? Usually the first flowers you see are males, they come out first so they are ready for the females. The makes will drop off when they need to. Female flowers falling off usually means they were not pollinated.

By Ashley Deckard

I started my very first garden this year. Unfortunately we have to move :( I want to take my plants with me but I dont know what the best way to do that would be... HELP PLEASE! I have squash, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, jalapenos, and strawberries. Please help me keep my garden!

It is possible to move a vegetable garden, but it is a huge undertaking (especially for larger gardens), and some plants may not survive. Success will depend in part on how large your plants are now, how long they will be in transit, and what the conditions are in their new space. If these plants are young, less than a foot tall, then it will be easier to pot them up. Keep in mind that some plants do not like to be transplanted, or are at a stage of development when it is hard for them to adjust, and may not fruit.

In the evening before you move (when it's cooler), water the area around the plant thoroughly, dig up the plant carefully, disturbing the roots as little as possible, and transplant it to a deep pot. Include as much of the root ball and soil as you can--the rootball width should at least be a few inches wider than the width of the plant; the wider, the better. And the deeper, the better.

Protect the plant from wind/sun/heat during transit. Plant it in the new location as soon as possible--next day is best (otherwise, keep it watered and shaded. Do not store in a moving van over days, as it can get very hot there).

Pick a protected new site in full sun. Be sure that the new soil has been prepared to receive the plants (loosened, weeded, rocks removed), and has good soil (well-aged compost worked in; do not add fertilizer or manure at this point, or it may burn the plant). If you are moving only a short distance away, it would be good to prepare the soil before moving day.

Plant in the evening, so that sun doesn't stress the plant for a while. Water the soil before planting and after. Provide temporary partial shade. After the plants recover from shock and establish, you can remove the device creating partial shade so that the plants can enjoy the full sun. Keep up with the special watering for about a week or so (but don't let the soil get soggy), then taper off to normal watering levels.

By Jess78

I place tomato cages over my squash plants when they are very small. This supports them but also allows me to pick the fruit easier. At this point you should get stakes the same height as the plant, put it in the soil next to the plant (carefully), make sure you are not on the root side, then use old t-shirt strips to tie the stalk to the stake.

Hand pollinating is ok but you could transfer bacteria to the plant, I use brand new q-tips to pollinate if I don't see the bees doing it. If you see a lot of bees around the blooms early in the morning you should not need to pollinate by hand.

By Heather F

I have a weird situation this year...my yellow crookneck squash have a ton of immature fruit on them, but they only mature into tiny 3" fruit. They are bumpy, deep yellow, and tasty - definately not unpollinated - but tiny! It's a new garden plot and it has a cover crop of clover. Is my soil deficient? Is the clover robbing the plants of something they need? The plants are really healthy looking so i don't think i'm overwatering. The soil we got for it was a really gorgeous decomosed granite that we harvested out of a mesquite stand and we've been amending it as we go, but it's the first season with this soil so there hasn't been a heck of a lot of organic matter in it yet. Everything else we've planted in this soil is doing great.

If a flower is not pollinated enough (it requires several visits), it can result in small or deformed squashes (such as small squashes with tapered ends, and only a few of the seeds inside maturing); hand pollination will help new flowers along (squash has male and female flowers). Sometimes cool weather will slow pollinators, causing inadequate pollination at the time of flower formation.

Since the fruit seem to be tasty and not misshapen, and if the plants seem healthy, it probably is not a virus, which can deform fruit as well.

Check the end of the fruit--if it is brown, it might be blossom-end rot, which is caused by not enough calcium intake. In this disorder, fruit develop up to a point, then brown at one end and rot. Even if soil has calcium, the plant needs enough water to draw it in--if you think this may be the cause, make sure the plants are consistently watered (but not waterlogged); check the soil pH to make sure it is not too acidic (below 5.5; optimum for growing, 6.0 to 6.5). Avoid too much nitrogen.

By Judy Efifd

By DW-83

Once you have a squash growing and the flower has wilted, the flower no longer serves a function. That being said, there is no need to remove the flower. It will dry up and fall off in its own good time. I would leave the plant as it is and let the flower fall off naturally.

By Greenhorn

By Lorelei R

I planted Spaghetti Squash in Mid March. Weather was warm in So Cal. The plant looks healthy and green with many male flowers. I have seen only 2 female squash which have been pollinated. My problem is I don't find any more female stems, only male. Is there anything I can do to promote more female to start?

By betcb

My squash vines are huge and are blooming now. We have them in a raised bed with tomato cages upside down. They are already getting towards the top. Does it matter if the vines are large or should we take off some leaves for the sun to get to the blooms?

By Tambra

We have beautiful healthy yellow squash plants. We still do not have any flowers on them at all. We have had unusually cool temps for May and lots of wet weather . Should we be concerned that we have no flowers yet? Why don't we ? What can we do ? Thanks

You are correct in saying weather may play a role. It has been a cool, wet spring in many parts of the country. Cool weather with temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit can delay flowering. Another reasons could include dry soil or overcrowding.
Sometimes a plant won't produce flowers if it receives too much nitrogen. Squash likes low nitrogen and higher phosphorus and potassium. If you think it might be too much nitrogen, you might apply some amendments that contain phosphorus and potassium to balance the nutrients. Ask a local garden nursery for options and timing.
Once it's warm enough, expect most summer squash to flower 35 to 45 days from germination.

By Janet Stinson

My neighbor has a problem with his squash plants. Oddly, the plant leaves start turning brown around the edges and eventually die, but the squash keep producing nicely. Local agents mention "blight", but otherwise confess that they do not know the reason. Is it simply some sort of stress on the plants due to improper watering practices, or maybe soil problems, since it has been happening for the last two seasons? Should he even worry about it?

Brown leaf edges can be caused by many things, including a period of cold temperatures (below 50 F) and wet weather. If there are no signs of spots on the leaves, or wilting, and the plant is doing fine in production, then it's probably not something to worry about. If your friend is curious, though, he might talk to his county's Cooperative Extension. Sometimes they will do tests to check for plant diseases, for a fee. For a list of agencies, see: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

By betty voltin beard

Hi, Betty: Sounds like a pollination issue, if it's now happened for two years running. See the first item under "Pests" at the beginning of this forum above. You can identify females by the tiny fruit at the base of the flower. Happy zukin'! You can do it!

By matty

Hi there - i am a real newby gardener - green behind the ears if you know what i mean:). i planted some cozzelle zucchini. the first two 'cotyledons' or mini leaves are coming up for several of the plants but some are turning a bit yellow and it seems like it might be spreading. i planted them 2 weeks ago when it was still chilly at night. is it mold? or blossom end rot? am i watering too much?
please help?
thank you
Matty

By Kgardener

I started yellow squash and zucchini seeds and the yellow squash plants 6 weeks out are enormous and healthy with several green 4 inch leaves. The zucchini on the other hand is short with only 2 marginally healthy looking leaves, the others fell off or I plucked off perhaps wrongly because they were yellow or dry and brown inorder to save the plants energy to produce healthy leaves. But now it's starting to flower which seems way too early. Do I pluck the flowers? I've already plucked a few I feel like there's nothing left to this poor plant. Will the plant recover or should I start over?

Even if conditions were exactly the same for both squashes, the results may not be the same.
Zucchini seed germination requires a minimum soil temperature of 60°F, according to several sources, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. BTW, one even advices starting both squashes in the ground, to avoid transplanting failure.
It's difficult to know eactly what went wrong. See what happens with the existing seedlings, and try again and, if you do, save a couple of seeds to set directly into warm soil in the garden.
Good luck!

By Linda ohnson

This squash problem is probably blossom end rot. It won't spread but indicates a lack of calcium in the developing fruit.
You may have soil that is too acidic. The pH of acidic soils can be raised by adding lime, but this should only be done if soil test results indicate it is needed. To change pH, lime should be tilled into the soil 6” to 8” deep 2 to 3 months before planting (or as much lead time as possible) to change the nature of your soil. A little sprinkling of lime won't do much once they have the rot.

By Loriw227

By georgewilson

This happens with squash as they get too warm inside and get leggy fast. Veggie like night temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees F. Day temperatures may run about 10 degrees higher. Is it possible to get them in the ground? Squash tend to work best when seeded outside; they'll germinate based on the temperature on their own.

By Lori227

By Jasmine Byrd

I think my butternut squash may have blossom end rot, one or 2 of the flowers have rotted and fallen off although there are still some good flowers, do I cut off the ones I notice to be affected by it or should I just let them fall on their own?

Based purely on your description, this does not sound like blossom end rot—which affects the lower ends of the squash (on the blossom end side) not the flower itself. It is possible that you have pollination issues? You can always self-pollinate between the male and female flowers to ensure pollination happens. See this page for more detail.

By gardner_jones

All are summer squash. The yellow squash that looks similar to the green zucchini is called straightneck squash. They're both quick-growing. I think my yellow summer squash variety was 50 to 60 days to maturity and the zucchini was 50 to 60 days, but it completely depends on your seed variety so just check the back of the seed packet or look at the seed retailers online to get a sense of the "days to maturity."

By Joe joejoe

You can self-polinate squash with a Q-tip or by simply stripping the male flower and bringing the pollen-covered stamen over to the female. However, you should use the same species if you want the same edible.

By Wayne Ames

My zucchini and yellow squash were producing like crazy and now seem to have stopped completely. Are they all done for the year? I am in South East AZ and we have been getting a lot of rain lately due to monsoon season. We are in the mid 80's to low 100 degrees daily. We typically don't get freezing until the end of August. Should I remove the dormant plants and plant a new crop? Will I have enough time for them to produce? This is my first year gardening so I am learning as I go.

If the plants look healthy leave them in the ground. They may still produce this season. Do they have flowers? Maybe the female flowers are not getting pollinated. If that is the case use a small brush to move pollen to the female flower.

I have different varieties of squash growing. I kept my summer separated from my winter. I check them daily ad they are growing some vey nice produce. We've been eating squash a lot lately.
I too once noticed the powdery mildew growing on my zucchini. I try not to use any herbicides or chemicals because we have free range poultry on the farm. One tip that I read about and used is to use milk. Get a spray bottle and mix milk with water in the ratio of 1 part milk to nine parts water. Spray the leaves of your plants until the liquid begins to drip once or twice from the leaves. I don't have a particular time to say to do this but I do it in early morning once a week and it seems to have saved my squash from an inevitable fate. It worked. The source also said to use on cucumbers and tomatoes or anything else that may be susceptible to powdery mildew. Hope you have the same success as I did.

By Alaina

I planted a ton of yellow & green squash out back this year, my first year ever growing. I have harvested about 8 yellow squash so far- but NO Zucchini. Not one. It seems an irritating group of rodents (they've eaten too much to be only one) have moved in on my zucc's and eat all my femal blossoms long before they can bloom. VERY Depressing. However, my question is; if a female flower blossom is pollinated, then eaten off the tiny yellow (or green) squash, will the fruit still grow to maturity? Or does the flower need to stay put for awhile until the squash is well on its way? :( The Voles are starting to eat my baby yellows now as they have completely consumed my zuccs!)
Is there ANY thing I can spray (organically) around my zucc's to save at least ONE zucc from any of my 30 zucc plants!? Thank you.

The tiny fruit at the base of the female blossom is what grows into the big fruit. If it's eaten after polliination, then the fruit will not mature. In terms of zucchini protection, it really depends on the pest. We doubt the issue is voles as they are usually springtime pests. If you are sure you have a rodent issue (versus beetles or slugs or other pest), it could be rabbits. See ways to deter rabbits here: http://www.almanac.com/content/rabbits

By Donna lepley

My zucchini plants were lush and green, producing beautiful fruit but within two days they started showing a grayish appearance and wilting, the fruit has begun to wither. Any idea what can be the cause?

The greyish appearance suggests downy mildrew or another fungus. The best ways to combat: spray with a fungicide (as your garden center), improve air circulation, use wider spacing when planting, avoid shade, do not water leaves with overhead sprinkling or get leaves wet (water at soil leve), and use resistant cultivars.

By CKim on July 24

Please ally female buds are dieing long before they even get close to the size of blooming. It's my spaghetti squash. They are in all new dirt this year. I have hand pollinated the ones that come up. I am affairs I over watered. We recently had three weeks of 27+ weather Celius. I read it could be lack of nitrogen. I have fertilized only twice this season, thinking that was my issue last season. In the early season we had two three fruits on each plant . We have now picked those in hopes that the energy would go back into the female flowers. Could it be there isn't enough growing space for the plant!? My butternut squash are doing fine in the same amount of room.

By Janet Picard

Why did my 4 in. long zucchini start turning yellow? I seem to be having several issues with my zucchini plants this year and was very disappointed when my one and only zucchini started turning yellow. Pollination may be another problem and I know to use a Q-tip, but how exactly do I do this?

By David Guerrero

Your diagnosis seems correct. The flowers were not fertilized because of the lack of bee activity. This can be influenced by rain and weather conditions. To aide pollination. With a Q-tip, take off the pollen from the stamen of the male flower and brush it onto the female flower's stigma in the center. You could also pluck a male flower (the one without the bulb or ovary at its base), strip off the petals, and use its pollen-covered stamen as a brush. Do this all in the morning when both male and female flowers are open. Next year, get some bee-loving flowers for natural pollination!

By Nikki Nickell

I have the same problem as Anonymous...ants. Since I have not seen any bees around,I figure maybe the ants will do the pollination. Awaiting your recomendation before I remove them. I have pets and don't want to use chemical [a pom who loves to eat zucchini blossoms and zucchini!]

Hi, Nikki, You'll need bees to pollinate. Ants don't pollinate, though they may end up dragging some pollen around while they are there. When you see ants, that usually means they are cleaning the soil and going after aphids--real pests! So make sure you check under the leaves for aphids--and blast the aphids with a diluted soap spray early in the morning.

By Kit Kat

What type of fertilizer and mulch do you recommend? Also, in years past I've had success with hand fertilizing my plants, but this year the flowers on my crookneck fruit don't seem to be opening. The fruit forms, but then never blosoms, so consequently dies. What can I do? Thanks!

By hermbchsue

By Joe joejoe

When fast-growing fruit form, like Zucchini, the plant literally forces juices into the fruit. When the fruit is picked, the fruit still contains liquid under pressure, and will "leak" at any cut part for a short while. So just put the cut ends over a plate or a tissue for a minute or two.

Yes, squash can "sweat"--as can other vegetables! It's nothing to be worried about. This usually happens when it's exposed to alternating cold and warm temperatures which simply causes moisture to accumulate no the surface. If you salt your squash, you'll also see it "sweat" as the salt draws moisture from the inside.
If you are eating your squash soon, don't sweat it. If you want to store it to keep longer, however, make sure your storage area is cool and prevents temperature variation to avoid decay; stored veggies also need good air circulation/ventilation.

By Belita

As you referred to a winter squash such as butternut? This plant turns yellow in the fall. In general, harvest winter squash when the rinds are tough enough to resist being punctured with a fingernail. Be patient and don't harvest too early or it won't keep in storage as well.

By cindy phan

What does it mean when the flowers fall off of my yellow squash plants and no squash grows. I had this problem last year but thought it was the weed killer in the soil. I added new soil but Im afraid its still there. The whole plant died last time but some produced squash. This time I have tons of plants and flowers but no squash yet.

By jean corcoran

By LaurenRitz

I assume you mean the difference between male and female blossoms. Basic and most visible difference: The male blossom has a long, leggy stem. The female blossom has a bulb at the base. This bulb can be small or large, and of varying shapes depending on the type of melon or squash. The bulb is the nascent fruit. All zucchini come from female blossoms.

If you look inside the blossom, the male has pollen covered upright stalks at the center. Inside the female blossom you'll see a small split bulb with a hole in the center, but no pollen.

Jean, this question is asked (and answered on this page). In general, all of the early flowers are males. Female flowers often develop many days later once the climate is ready for them. The females can be identified by the miniature fruit at the flower base.

It's normal for male blossoms to drop, especially early in the season. If you see female blossoms dropping, it's because they're not being pollinated; this due to weather extremes or lack of bee population. If it's temperatures, fruits will appear when temperatures moderate. If it's a pollinator issues, make sure you're not using toxic chemicals to spray your plants as they kill the bees; you can try to pollinate the plants yourself with a Q-tip.

By Anonymous

By Anonymous

The flower naturally plucks right off when the that one flower is spent. The female flowers should be easily plucked off when the fruit set and is growing. Without removing the flower as the fruit grows will lead to rot before it fully grows

By Anonymous

Not being able to see the fruit, we can not identify it, and therefore would advise not eating it. We haven't heard of yellow squash turning purple later in the season (although we suppose it is possible if it had a cultural or pest/disease problem). It might be that you have an heirloom type that exhibits this trait, although a particular cultivar doesn't come to mind at the moment. Could it be possible that the original plant has died back and a volunteer is now growing in its place? It could be an edible vegetable, such as eggplant, but it may also be an inedible weed. To be safe--don't eat it! You might want to bring a sample to your local Cooperative Extension (if in the USA) for identification. To find your Extension, go to:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

By Anonymous

I thought I planted a regular zucchini, but it turns out to be white, and not light green like what I've been reign about, but white. I was going to shred it up into some bread, but the outer skin is kind of tough papery. Is this actually still a zucchini or some other kind of vegetable.

By Anonymous

These are growing on a vine that looks like a zucchini plant. At first the fruit looked like a big fat round cucumber, then they turned orange. I have picture but not sure a can post them here.
Does anyone know what these are?

By Joe joejoe

There are SO many types of squash. For example, the "banana squash" is orange and oblong. Also, you'll find that squash will cross-pollinate with other nearby squash varieties, creating some interesting results! However, cucumbers belong to different species and will not cross with each other or squash. Here's a web site with photo IDs of different squash varieties. Hope this helps!
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/vegetables/squash-glossary3.asp

By Anonymous

I planted the seeds from the squash I ate and now have flowers and vins growing allover.I now have huge green long squash growing want to know if edible. We ate the flowers. DGree12@comcast.netplease e-mail

By Anonymous

My local newspaper printed a recipe for zucchini relish in 2009. The recipe was from Sonoma-Williams company book of recipes.

I make it every year..Better than pickle relish. Delicious on hot dogs, burgers, deviled eggs, tuna and chicken salad. Also top cream cheese on basil/tomato wheat thins..delicious for appetizer or snack.

In general, all of the early flowers are males. Female flowers often develop many days later once the climate is ready for them. The females can be identified by the miniature fruit at the flower base. Both females and males will need to be blooming for pollination and keep your fingers crossed that the pollinators (bees) aren't deterred by fluky weather as timing is important; otherwise, you can hand pollinate.

By Anonymous

We apologize. ‘Butter Blossom’ is mentioned at
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm
But we couldn’t find a source for ‘Butter Blossom’ seeds.
Costata Romanesca is also great for blossoms and you can find seeds at
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7655-costata-romanesco.aspx

By Anonymous

If you wish to cook the blossoms, harvest only the male blossoms, but leave some on the vine for pollination. (The male blossoms have a thin stem; the female blossoms have a thick stem with a bulb at the base which develops into the squash.)

By Anonymous

The most common reason for this problem is lack of pollination. There are female and male flowers. Sometimes the females bloom before any male flowers have bloomed and so the female flowers do not get pollinated. Usually, if you wait, you'll find that the males start blooming and you're getting TONS of squash! If not, there's a lack of pollinators in your garden and you can do it yourself with a Q-tip.

By Berg

I am having a similar issue with lack of pollinators. You mention that if there is a lack of pollinators, to hand pollinate. However, that assumes there are male flowers, and I do not have any on my crooked yellow squash (only females). I had one on my zuchinni, and used that to hand pollinate my crooked yellow squash (I used my finger). I have several questions- is variety cross pollination effective, and what do I do if I don't get anymore males? Should I cut off the females so they aren't taking resources from the plant? Is using my finger effective- or should I not consider them pollinated? Guess I will have to wait and see. The one male flower from zuchinni plant fell off last night in a storm, I think I will try and reuse pollen from inside to continue in variety cross pollination.

By Anonymous

It sounds like they're not getting pollinated. You could try hand pollinating them. Use a q-tip to transfer some pollen from a male flower to a female. The male flower will have narrow stems and pollen-bearing stamens in the flower, and the female flower has a fattened stem and a nubby-looking pistil in the center.

By Berg

Do the plants need sunlight to grow? I assume not as much, as the plant leaves are so huge and the plants grow so low, that most sun is blocked. My small raised bed is already FULL and all the leaves are overlapping. IS this concern for great conditions for mildew growth. Thanks- first time gardener, and the soil is organic and rich with all kinds of manure and nutrients.

By Anonymous

When ripe, the rind of butternut squash will change color from light beige to deep tan or what some people call a deep flesh color. Then the skin will be hardened. Be sure to harvest before frost. When you harvest, use pruning shears and cut 1/2 inch above the fruit. Do not break off the stem. Happy harvest!

By Anonymous

I harvested my first squash and a few hours later about a quarter of the plant is wilting and looks to be dying. What could cause this? I tried to be as careful as possible when harvesting with shears. Could I have cut part of the main stem by accident?

If your plant is wilting, the common reason is the squash vine borer. Slit open a stem lengthwise and look inside for grubs. If a plant wilts but there is no evidence of borers, it may be bacterial wilt infection or root feeding by larval cucumber beetles. See our pest library for more information: www.almanac.com/topics/gardening/pests-and-problems

Good sleuthing. Yes, small, reddish-brownish eggs on the underside of leaves in evenly spaced groups indicate squash bugs. Frankly, this is the most loathsome of pests and there is not a lot you can do once your plants are attacked. Control in organic gardening is done before seeds are even planted by removing overwintering sites with post-harvest tillage, removing and even burning all vines and debris, cover cropping, rotating crops, using tightly secured row covers until flowering starts, planting resistant types (e.g, 'Butternut'), interplanting buckwheat to attract a predator fly, companion planting with bug-repellant flowers (e.g., marigolds, nasturiums), and planting nearby "trap" crops of plants that squash bugs prefer (e.g., Hubbard). If you catch the pest early --on just a few vines--hand pick the pests and crush the eggs daily. Some organic gardeners say using diatomaceous earth (DE) slows them down. Others say to spray with Neem oil, a natural pesticide; spray on all leaf and stem surfaces. One expert gardener recommends Bayer Advanced Fruit & Vegetable Insect Control. Ask your local garden center about these products and follow directions very carefully. One of our readers says to put the squash bugs in a blender, add some water, wait a day, and spray THAT on the pests and it works. Warning: they are very smelly!
Now, Sevin is a chemical. I believe it's for the base of the plant, below the flowers, but follow the directions very carefully. Note that Sevin is extremely toxic to honeybees (our dear pollinators). Many farmers use pesticides and will tell you timing is critical. Application must happen early during maximum egg hatch. Otherwise, it may be back to those preventative controls.

By Anonymous

Great question. Once you know, it's easy to tell the difference. Female flowers look as if they have a miniature fruit right under the petals. Male flowers have a slender stalk below the petals and that's it. It's normal for the male flowers to fall off, especially at the beginning when there may not be females yet. If the females start to fall off, then there may be a pollination issue.

It's hard to say why they are dying. Do you have any frass? It's possible that it's the squash vine borer pest, especially if the soil's been too wet. Take a knife and slit the stem lengthwise and look for those grubs. If they're there, you need to quickly pull those plants as it is too late for treatment. In the future, row covers may help.

By Anonymous

If the squash fruit gets an inch or two long and then dies, it is probably related to pollination. Female and male flowers need to blossom at the same time. So, it may just be a question of waiting until both are blossoming. Tips: To attract bees, avoid spraying pesticides as well as covering the squash during morning pollination. Avoid overhead sprinklers. If the weather's been too rainy or overly hot, you may also need to wait for conditions improve. Finally, you can always attract more bees with nearby plants (example: plant bee balm).

By Anonymous

I have plants where I just moved to and I was told they are squash. I for some reason dont think so I thought all squash had yellow blooms? These have black almost really dark purpleish blooms and the other has like a dark pink with purple in the middle on the bloom what kind of plants are these could anyone tell me I have pictures on my phone but no way to post them on here!

PESTS - In the south (Texas), I've run into problems with cabbage loopers and melonworms. I had to spray Bt (an approved organic solution) to get them to go away.

POLLINATION - It's possible to pollinate the flowers without bees. Basically, you carefully open the flowers (if they haven't already), remove the "dusty" component (male?), and rub it against the other one.

FLOWERS - The flowers are great to eat straight from the plant. The fruits (veggies) also! In fact, I've had to do that to keep them from the squirrels, who have done damage to the nearby stems, being clumsy in their gnawing.

One pest you left out is the squash vine borer, which has killed many plants I have in Indiana. If you plant radish seed with it and start them later in the season, you have a better chance of live plants. I feed the extra large ones to my sheep.

By Anonymous

Not only do cantaloupe need a pollinator but several other things can prevent the flowers from forming fruit: temperature and watering methods being at the top of the list. Cantaloupes prefer being watered at ground level and the temps near to be at a steady 85-95 every day for a couple weeks will signal the plant to produce a viable blossum. Since most of you are writing your questions at the beinning of July, depending on where y'all live, the temperatures might not have reached the prime target for viable blossum development. The pollinators can tell by the aroma of the blossoms if the blossums are viable or "ready." Pollinators tend to have a keen sense of weather prediction and "knowing" when to pollinate certain plants. Bees especially will not waste their time with nectar that is not ready. ;)

Hi Cowell, Have you seen any bees buzzing around the garden? Bees are necessary because squash plants need to be pollinated in order to produce fruits. If there are no bees, you can manually pollinate the plants. Try putting the pollen on a q-tip and transferring it from male to female flowers. That should do the trick. Good luck!